Jonathan Spence’s The Search for Modern China

How Jonathan Spence details the limiting effect of China’s past upon present China. Spence concludes that China is engaged in a quest for stability and modernity.

`That the history of China, though noteworthy and varied throughout the centuries, remains unknown to most Westerners, especially relative to American and European history, reflects the Chinese experience of uniqueness and isolation from the West. No country remains unblighted by turmoil and tragedy, and to that extent, the West and China are similar. However, China’s history is particularly marked by tragedy and turmoil, and consequently, by a quest for stability.`